You know I thought this whole thing would turn tragic, but while bittersweet, I’m glad to see that it ends on somewhat of an upnote. It’s a strong message saying that individuals are what the choose to be rather than what they are born into.
Wonderful bittersweet end to the chapter. Poor Digger – such a sense of loss and loneliness in that last frame. Little Mother of Earthquakes indeed – just by being herself and helping Shadowchild as much as she could, she’s likely to be the “mother” of the transformation of an entire very powerful “species” (if one can call demons that).
and so i come to the end of my tragic two whole days of laying in bed clicking the next button, thankfully my 65 yr old father wants to go out to an observatory in E. Oregon this weekend, that will give me a 4 day break from my laptop till the next episode comes out…dammit, …my fathers father was a forestry service guru, with all kinds of hidden secrets in the NW, hidden campsites and what not, and he knows one a mile and a half from an observatory with a 32 inch telescope(w)….have to go…goodebye wireless mouse full of lint, have to go shopping for dry goods and….Bacon,…hehe, excellent strip Ursula back to see more after my “epic quest” heehee, ps wh
I love your artistic work, when I found your strip I was halfway through one of your friends strips(have to go back and remember which one it was….) but once I hit yours I had to go all the way, a lot of the post enjoy your minamalistic scenes, not me, my favorites were the head on serious glimpses into your charachters the heavy duty black and whites that actualy showed the whites of there eyes, Ed, Gimeyes, hermes, the close ups, 1 in high and 5 in wide, I loved those frames,…I apologize for not spell checking this post but I amm severely headded into HERO mode, the beer is foxy,(waiting for the great bard mead to appear again) havent had that since the last time I made it…………oh, since every one else has re appeared?,..and slug generations are nothing like our own? and I am going to be the modern druid, peeking at the stars this weekend,…do you have any plans for the slugmead druid to come back? Apoligize to every one of you obviosly college generated images, for not spell checking first, but dousing the evil spirits in slug mead would be a good way to get rid of them
If/when Digger has kids of her own, she’s already been through the tough stuff, from the impossible questions to the young adult leaving the nest and going out into the world on their own. Despite her worries, she’s been a good parent to a demon child. I do hope we’ll see Shadow again! Knowing the way things come back in this story, I suspect we will.
Very sad and VERY bittersweet. Who will help them, when they get into trouble on the way home? (We all know trouble is inevitable.)
It’s strange to know that they have been sitting outside that cave for a while now. It was weeks to us, but it would only be a few minutes to Digger and Shadow. Everyone else is still sleeping peacefully inside the cave.
*sniff* shadowchild…. you better come back at some point… though i dont think it will be the same without your “i ate a shadow of a sock” type of personality.
i have to say that i’m so emencly glad that i discovered this comic. ursula, keep up the job we’ll feed you sweets if you do :3
pst. also in the event that digger eventually ends i hope you have another web epic planed. X3
As much as I liked him, my favorite’s still Ed. Love his voice and mannerisms. I really hope he gets more involved in the main story and less ‘reserved for occassional appearances’. I especially love the art style in “Little Skin-Painter’s” stories. 🙂
You know, Shadow (back when it was SC) frequently disappeared suddenly in the past, but I believe this is the first time we’ve actually been shown the fade-out.
From the standpoint of conventional plotting, Ursula has invested too much in Shadow not to bring the character back.
So, in a really conventional plot, Shadow would appear at the climax with an army of shadows in tow, rescuing Digger at the last moment from SGV. Knowing Ursula, it will be more humorous and poignant.
(Something like a whole army of shadowtoddlers grown mighty from eating the shadows of shadow-puppet socks, swarming all over SGV and barfing at the most distracting moment.)
wow! you know that a story is really well done when there’s a line like “someone must teach them to be good” – a line that often seems trite and ambiguously affirmative – and the story delivers in such beautiful depth and detail that there’s no doubt in the readers mind exactly what Shadow is saying, and it’s so clear and convincing. i think it’s so beautiful and encouraging the way that Ursula doesn’t hit the reader over the head with overused moral arguments or traditional religious thinking – instead we see the ethical growth through dilemmas and conversations like “is it okay to eat something that talks?” and when we end on this chapter, we realize, that all the conversations between Digger and Shadow while sometimes seeming like the childish, silly questions of a infant consciousness to a more mature, parental mind, these conversations are in fact the very basis of confidence and motivation that drives Shadow forward towards a greater purpose, and it is here that we realize that trivial moments summate into these greater moments, and had Digger dismissed or ignored Shadowchild, we would not have seen such growth and maturation. How very much like life 🙂
Kind of sad…. but for me, much happier. Don’t you see? All the little shadowchildren, lost and alone… who would have been devoured, r taught to be monsters, or left to become animals.
They can be saved, now.
I was envisioning the conversation would go something like this:
Digger: “Shadowchild? Are you all right?”
SC: “Yes, but I am no longer a child, I fought with Sweetgrass Voice, and I ate her shadow.”
D: “That’s how you grow up? You fight a stronger adult, and gain their knowledge when you eat their shadow?”
SC: “Actually, no. Turns out I ate a sock, and that’s what did it. Gave me a monster case of indigestion, and eating Sweetgrass’ shadow acted as a diuretic, totally cleansed me out, and enabled me to realize what I hadn’t realized before….I’ve been an adult all along.”
*hugs and waves* Go You! Shadowchild, you *can* kick butt and take names! Go get them, talk to them, show them how to be good, and if it doesn’t work, EAT THEIR SOCKS! Make sure they are in them though! We will miss you until we see you again, but you got important stuff to do! Love you, miss you, come back soon, ok?
Wah!
I will miss the Shadowlescent. I hope it returns before the story is over.
That sort of resolve feels closer to Shadult.
They grow up so fast
WAUGH *teary eyes*
D: Uwaaaaaaah…….
I am not crying. Men do not… WAUGH! D:
*sniffles* It is good shadow has a purpose though…
Do people really cry at the departure of a confused demon from the presence of a disheveled and disconcerted wombat?
People do.
Will Shadult ever return I wonder…?
You know I thought this whole thing would turn tragic, but while bittersweet, I’m glad to see that it ends on somewhat of an upnote. It’s a strong message saying that individuals are what the choose to be rather than what they are born into.
I have to admit, the previous strip left me dry eyed. This one, however… More kleenex please.
Wonderful bittersweet end to the chapter. Poor Digger – such a sense of loss and loneliness in that last frame. Little Mother of Earthquakes indeed – just by being herself and helping Shadowchild as much as she could, she’s likely to be the “mother” of the transformation of an entire very powerful “species” (if one can call demons that).
Cool fade there, Shadow!
I’m glad we know it has a goal in mind, or I’d be afraid the artist just got fed up and erased it from the story…
😉
Absolutely beautiful and inspiring, Ursula.
That brought tears to my eyes. It was bloody Beautiful and as the one above there said Inspiring as all hell.
and so i come to the end of my tragic two whole days of laying in bed clicking the next button, thankfully my 65 yr old father wants to go out to an observatory in E. Oregon this weekend, that will give me a 4 day break from my laptop till the next episode comes out…dammit, …my fathers father was a forestry service guru, with all kinds of hidden secrets in the NW, hidden campsites and what not, and he knows one a mile and a half from an observatory with a 32 inch telescope(w)….have to go…goodebye wireless mouse full of lint, have to go shopping for dry goods and….Bacon,…hehe, excellent strip Ursula back to see more after my “epic quest” heehee, ps wh
I love your artistic work, when I found your strip I was halfway through one of your friends strips(have to go back and remember which one it was….) but once I hit yours I had to go all the way, a lot of the post enjoy your minamalistic scenes, not me, my favorites were the head on serious glimpses into your charachters the heavy duty black and whites that actualy showed the whites of there eyes, Ed, Gimeyes, hermes, the close ups, 1 in high and 5 in wide, I loved those frames,…I apologize for not spell checking this post but I amm severely headded into HERO mode, the beer is foxy,(waiting for the great bard mead to appear again) havent had that since the last time I made it…………oh, since every one else has re appeared?,..and slug generations are nothing like our own? and I am going to be the modern druid, peeking at the stars this weekend,…do you have any plans for the slugmead druid to come back? Apoligize to every one of you obviosly college generated images, for not spell checking first, but dousing the evil spirits in slug mead would be a good way to get rid of them
Now you have to start another web comic about Shadowchild/Shadowlescent/Shadow 😉
Big fat out loud “aawwwwweeeeee” from Australia
Goodbye, Shadowchild! 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁
awww…shadowlescent!!
them past few pages made me all teary eyed
If/when Digger has kids of her own, she’s already been through the tough stuff, from the impossible questions to the young adult leaving the nest and going out into the world on their own. Despite her worries, she’s been a good parent to a demon child. I do hope we’ll see Shadow again! Knowing the way things come back in this story, I suspect we will.
“Someone must teach them to be good.” **SNIFFLE** Yes. *SNIFFLE*
Farewell, Shadow…
All our hugs are for Digger now.
*joins the general weeping*
Niuuu… ;~;
Very sad and VERY bittersweet. Who will help them, when they get into trouble on the way home? (We all know trouble is inevitable.)
It’s strange to know that they have been sitting outside that cave for a while now. It was weeks to us, but it would only be a few minutes to Digger and Shadow. Everyone else is still sleeping peacefully inside the cave.
*sniff* shadowchild…. you better come back at some point… though i dont think it will be the same without your “i ate a shadow of a sock” type of personality.
i have to say that i’m so emencly glad that i discovered this comic. ursula, keep up the job we’ll feed you sweets if you do :3
pst. also in the event that digger eventually ends i hope you have another web epic planed. X3
I held it together for almost all of this story…but that last line just destroyed me. Beautiful.
Awe, Shadowchild. *sniff* I hope we get to see you again! <3
As much as I liked him, my favorite’s still Ed. Love his voice and mannerisms. I really hope he gets more involved in the main story and less ‘reserved for occassional appearances’. I especially love the art style in “Little Skin-Painter’s” stories. 🙂
oooh i got goosebumps when i read the last line.
“someone must teach them to be good”
oooooooh i got them again!
You know, Shadow (back when it was SC) frequently disappeared suddenly in the past, but I believe this is the first time we’ve actually been shown the fade-out.
See ya later, Shadow!
🙂
I must add to the snifflepile. My toddler is asking “Mommy, why you crying?” and is all sad with me.
From the standpoint of conventional plotting, Ursula has invested too much in Shadow not to bring the character back.
So, in a really conventional plot, Shadow would appear at the climax with an army of shadows in tow, rescuing Digger at the last moment from SGV. Knowing Ursula, it will be more humorous and poignant.
(Something like a whole army of shadowtoddlers grown mighty from eating the shadows of shadow-puppet socks, swarming all over SGV and barfing at the most distracting moment.)
Anyway, my money is on seeing Shadow again. 🙂
Men don’t cry… men don’t cry…
That must be a raindrop…
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
(Wonderful chapter ending, Ursula!)
*sniffle*
…. *blinks* …. I think I may weep.
wow! you know that a story is really well done when there’s a line like “someone must teach them to be good” – a line that often seems trite and ambiguously affirmative – and the story delivers in such beautiful depth and detail that there’s no doubt in the readers mind exactly what Shadow is saying, and it’s so clear and convincing. i think it’s so beautiful and encouraging the way that Ursula doesn’t hit the reader over the head with overused moral arguments or traditional religious thinking – instead we see the ethical growth through dilemmas and conversations like “is it okay to eat something that talks?” and when we end on this chapter, we realize, that all the conversations between Digger and Shadow while sometimes seeming like the childish, silly questions of a infant consciousness to a more mature, parental mind, these conversations are in fact the very basis of confidence and motivation that drives Shadow forward towards a greater purpose, and it is here that we realize that trivial moments summate into these greater moments, and had Digger dismissed or ignored Shadowchild, we would not have seen such growth and maturation. How very much like life 🙂
…Yeah, what dkkauwe said.
Wow, a most surprising twist to the whole Shadowchild arc. Very excellent reading Ursula, love it, as always.
And thus, Shadowchild became a god.
Digger: “D’oh!”
Kind of sad…. but for me, much happier. Don’t you see? All the little shadowchildren, lost and alone… who would have been devoured, r taught to be monsters, or left to become animals.
They can be saved, now.
Beauty transcendent.
As soon as I saw this, I imagined a little wombat meeting Shadow Child and greeting it as family.
I was envisioning the conversation would go something like this:
Digger: “Shadowchild? Are you all right?”
SC: “Yes, but I am no longer a child, I fought with Sweetgrass Voice, and I ate her shadow.”
D: “That’s how you grow up? You fight a stronger adult, and gain their knowledge when you eat their shadow?”
SC: “Actually, no. Turns out I ate a sock, and that’s what did it. Gave me a monster case of indigestion, and eating Sweetgrass’ shadow acted as a diuretic, totally cleansed me out, and enabled me to realize what I hadn’t realized before….I’ve been an adult all along.”
*sniff* Bye, Shadowlescent. I’ll miss you and your sock-eating ways.
I look forward, though, as we all must. *raises glass* To chapter eleven!
Actually, I’m afraid it’s Digger who’s in danger of becoming a god.
Shadolescent is just Moses. 🙂
Of course, with Digger’s vague definition of what it means to be good… this could turn out very interesting.
I’m surprised that digger didn’t say that “Can we please finish this mission first? It would mean so much to me.”
This is the most heart-tugging part of the story so far.
NUUUUUUU D’=
*hugs and waves* Go You! Shadowchild, you *can* kick butt and take names! Go get them, talk to them, show them how to be good, and if it doesn’t work, EAT THEIR SOCKS! Make sure they are in them though! We will miss you until we see you again, but you got important stuff to do! Love you, miss you, come back soon, ok?